June 22, 2015

Cranberry Insect Control Update

Cranberry beds are in full bloom. If insects have been effectively managed prior to bloom, we recommend no sprays at this time. A reminder: when bees are present, your only choices of insecticides are insect growth regulators (IGRs) such as Intrepid 2F or Bt products such as DiPel.

During bloom we recommend monitoring insect populations using pheromone traps. Pheromone traps should be used particularly to monitor activity of Sparganothis fruitworm and blackheaded fireworm, two key pests in New Jersey.

Sparganothis Larvae

Sparganothis Larvae

Sparganothis Adult

Sparganothis Adult

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Filed Under: Cranberry, Fruit
May 13, 2015

Insect Pests to Look for in Cranberry Bogs

The following insect pests bear special mention for early-season scouting in cranberry bogs.
Click images to enlarge.

Blackheaded Fireworm

Blackheaded fireworm eggs overwinter on the bed and usually hatch by around mid-May. It is important to catch the first generation, if possible, because the second generation occurs during bloom and is typically much more destructive. Blackheaded fireworm larvae can be detected by sweep net sampling and it is good idea to look along the edges of bed where vines first begin to grow.

Blackheaded fireworm Larva

Blackheaded fireworm Larva Photo:D.Schiffhauer

Blackheaded fireworm Adult

Blackheaded fireworm Adult Photo:D.Schiffhauer

 

Blackheaded fireworm is much easier to control if detected during the early part of the season.

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Filed Under: Cranberry
May 5, 2015

Cranberry IPM: Sparganothis Fruitworm Degree-Day Benchmarks Provide Key Treatment Timings

Degree-day benchmarks indicate discrete biological events in the development of insect pests. For the Sparganothis fruitworm, recent studies conducted by Dr. Shawn Steffan (USDA-ARS/University of Wisconsin-Madison), Annie Deutsch (University of Wisconsin-Madison), and Cesar Rodriguez-Saona (Rutgers University) have isolated the key development events and linked them to degree-day (DD) accumulations. These degree-day accumulations can improve treatment timings for cranberry IPM programs in spring and summer.

Sparganothis adult

Sparganothis adult

Sparganothis larva

Sparganothis larva

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Filed Under: Cranberry
October 2, 2014

Bug Damaging Cranberries Identified: Plagiognathus repetitus

This year we observed damage to cranberries likely caused by an unknown “mirid” bug (Hemiptera: Miridae). These insects are known as true bugs and have piercing-sucking mouthparts to suck juices out the plants. The species has now been identified by Dr. Thomas Henry, from USDA-ARS-Systematic Entomology Laboratory in Beltsville, MD, as Plagiognathus repetitus (Hemiptera: Miridae).

Adult Plagiognathus repetitus (Hemiptera: Miridae)

Adult Plagiognathus repetitus
(Hemiptera: Miridae)

The insect seems to damage young leaf and flower buds. We observed deformed leaves and flowers in June. This damage appears to cause serious reduction in yield. The damage was likely caused by the nymphs in April-May, as adults were seen in June-July.
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Filed Under: Cranberry
August 8, 2014

American Cranberry Growers Association 2014 Summer Field Day

The American Cranberry Growers Association 2014 Summer Field Day will be held on Friday August 22, 2014 at the P.E. Marucci Center for Blueberry & Cranberry Research & Extension in Chatsworth, NJ.
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Meeting Agenda

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Filed Under: Cranberry
July 26, 2014

Beating the Bugs in the Bogs – Sparganothis Fruitworm and Spotted Fireworm

Sparganothis fruitworm and spotted fireworm are important pests of cranberries; therefore, plant resistance against these insects is a major topic of study.

Field cages in experimental bog

Field cages in experimental bog

Both insects feed on cranberry uprights and developing fruit during the summer. Dr. Elvira de Lange, a postdoc at the Blueberry and Cranberry Research Center, is especially interested in the resistance factors against these insects that are naturally present in cranberry fruits.
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Filed Under: Cranberry